Provision of biodiesel quality in Latvia

Biodiesels has already become well known in internal market of Latvia as environmentally friendly renewable alternative for the fossil diesel fuel. The first biodiesel (RME) plant with an output 2500 t of RME per year started to work at the end of 2001 in Naukseni, Valmiera district. According to the national biodiesel program project, in the year 2010 the annual production of biodiesel is estimated to be 80 000 t/y. It has become necessary to determine the quality requirements for the new biodiesel by means of a standard in order to allow for a free movement of goods. To facilitate the expansion to the new biodiesel fuel in the transport industrial and agricultural sector, the development of standard and specification of biodiesels and its mixtures with fossil diesels is needed work out. This paper contains the analysis of existing standards in Europe and other countries with the aim to help introduce biofuel standards in Latvia. To develop a national biodiesel standard a group of experts are organized and started to work at the Ministry of Agriculture (authors)